Spirit by Leona Lewis

BioGraphy
Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is an English pop and R&B singer-songwriter, and the winner of the third series of the United Kingdom television talent show The X Factor. Leona Lewis was born in Stoke Newington, in the London Borough of Hackney, to parents Aural Josiah Lewis, an Afro-Caribbean Guyanese youth worker, and Maria Lewis (also n?e Lewis), a Welsh social worker. At the age of five, she attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and later the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School.

Lewis wrote her first song at the age of twelve, and won a number of talent competitions. After leaving school, Lewis took a number of jobs to pay to get into a recording studio, including waitressing and several receptionist jobs.

She wrote and recorded a number of songs including a demo album called Twilight. When she was fifteen years old, she recorded a version of Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You” with music producer Marley J. Wills, after which Lewis and Wills were invited to the U.S. by Sony. Wills commented that “Leona could hit the notes and I think she did it better than the original.”

Her UK debut single, “A Moment Like This“, broke a world record after it was downloaded over 50,000 times within 30 minutes. Her second single, “Bleeding Love“, was the biggest-selling single of 2007 in the UK, topped over thirty national singles charts and became a number one single on the first week in France and number one in the United States.

Her debut album, Spirit, was released in Europe in 2007 and became the fastest-selling debut album ever in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. Released in North America in 2008, Spirit debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and made Lewis the first British solo artist to top the chart with a debut album.

With her album reaching number one in at least three continents and nine countries, Lewis has had one of the most successful launches of any television talent show contestant ever.

About the Album
With her natural beauty and stunning vocal range, Leona Lewis is the kind of artist you’d expect to see winning American Idol. But since she’s from the U.K., Lewis won X Factor, a similar talent show that was created by Simon Cowell and is produced by his production company. Still, the results are much the same.

Having won over British audiences, Lewis has come to American soil with her debut disc, Spirit. Co-produced by Cowell and the legendary Clive Davis, the album is everything you’d expect from such great musical mentors. Lewis brings an amazing vocal range and versatility to every song she sings, which has won her favorable comparisons to artists like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. With this album, she is poised to make a name for herself far beyond the comparisons.

With her first American single, “Bleeding Love,” she broke into Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming the first British female to accomplish that since Kim Wilde back in 1987. The song is a beautiful introduction to her elegant style, which is enhanced by excellent song selection. On this lead off single, she has a gentle pop approach that shows influences of her musical idols but never sounds like an imitation.

A pair of ballads, “Better In Time” and “I Will Be“, show just what a beautiful instrument her voice is, but five tracks into it she kicks things up a notch with the upbeat, attitude-filled “Forgive Me.” There’s a bit of Beyonc? shining through in this saucy, sassy anthem about losing one’s man and, in the process, finding one’s self-worth. It’s catchy and infectious, and makes a great little dance number.

It takes considerable courage to take on the work of legends, but Lewis’s cover of Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is nothing if not memorable. She makes the song as thoughtful and emotional as it was intended to be, lingering on the words with a heartfelt sentiment that makes this track one of the most stirring ballads on the entire collection. As she builds to the chorus and finally lets her voice explode, she finds the ability to draw goosebumps from her audience.

The dramatic “Take A Bow” is worthy of a soundtrack; the comparisons of a relationship to a theatrical performance work extremely well and when she hits the chorus, the full force of her emotions shine through. It’s another powerful song that Lewis lets build in intensity and the payoff comes from her vocal explosions as the song progresses.

Spirit is a wonderful introduction to a fantastic new talent. Despite constantly being compared to other vocal greats, it’s safe to say that it won’t be long before we all are saying her name.

Bleeding Love (live)

Spirit album tracklists are:

01 Bleeding Love

02 Whatever It Takes

03 Homeless

04 Better In Time

05 Yesterday

06 Take A Bow

07 I Will Be

08 Angel

09 Here I Am

10 I’m You

11 The Best You Never Had

12 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

13 Footprints In The Sand

14 A Moment Like This

15 Forgive Me

16 Misses Glass

17 You Bring Me Down

18 Forgiveness

19 Bleeding Love [Jason Nevins Ext. Mix]

Buy the CD Album Spirit

Free Mp3 Downloads Spirit

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Leona Lewis - Spirit (2008)

No related posts.

Welcome To The Dollhouse by Danity Kane

Biography
Danity Kane is an American Pop and R&B girl group signed to Bad Boy Records, first established in 2005. Formed on the third installment of MTV’s Making the Band reality television series, the quintet is comprised of singers and songwriters Aubrey O’Day, Wanita Woodgette, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard and Aundrea Fimbres.

Their self-titled debut studio album was released in 2006 and achieved success in the United States, shipping a million copies domestically, while spawning two singles with top 10 hit “Show Stopper” and the ballad “Ride for You.” Danity Kane’s second studio album, Welcome to the Dollhouse, was released on March 18, 2008, following the release of their second top 10 hit single “Damaged“.

About the Album
Last year, Danity Kane’s eponymous debut album was one part of Diddy’s fourfold plan to spark a historic resurgence for himself and Bad Boy Records (the other three parts were albums from Cassie, Young Joc and Diddy). When all was said and done, it was the platinum-selling album from the winner of Making The Band 3 that looked like the leader of the pack, and for good reason: Dawn, Aubrey, Shannon, Wanita and Aundrea were the young, independent, party-going gals that everyone wants to know. And it didn’t hurt that they were talented vocalists and collectively attractive.

Diddy pulled a brilliant marketing move in bringing back Danity Kane for the second season of Making The Band 4 following the formation of the winning R&B group, Day26. The two quintets shared an unusual dynamic, a friendly competition that felt much like a battle of the sexes, occasionally moderated and instigated by Diddy. Instead of Day26 earning all the hype and discussion, Danity Kane’s new release also gained massive momentum, almost enough to overshadow their male counterparts.

Danity Kane came out first with Welcome To The Dollhouse, and it’s a real treat. While they may be young and wild at heart, these gals are true professionals, and they operate with the kind of synergy that one wouldn’t expect from a group that has been together for such a short time.

“Damaged,” the first single from Welcome To The Dollhouse, has already made major waves, and for good reason. Danity Kane sounds better than ever; they are able to seamlessly layer their vocals, so everyone gets a standout moment in both the foreground and background. “Bad Girl,” which features Missy Elliot, exudes all the sass and fire that has now become synonymous with the group.

Though “Damaged,” some listeners might already be familiar with “2 Of You,” which was recorded in 2007 and included on the soundtrack for Step Up 2 the Streets. While “Ecstasy” and “Strip Tease” remind listeners that the ladies are still the naughty seductresses from their debut album, “Poetry” and “Keys To My Heart” show real heart, something their debut somewhat lacked.

Danity Kane defied all critics of Diddy, Making The Band and pop music in general, not to mention their own critics, with the surprise success of Danity Kane. If any of those same critics wished for a sophomore slump, they’re in for another disappointment. Hate to say it, but Welcome To The Dollhouse rocks.

Damage

Welcome To The Dollhouse album tracklists are:

01 Welcome To The Dollhouse (feat. P. Diddy)

02 Bad Girl (feat. Missy Elliot)

03 Damaged

04 Pretty Boy

05 Strip Tease

06 Sucka For Love

07 Secret Place (Interlude)

08 Ecstasy (feat. Rick Ross)

09 2 Of You

10 Lights Out

11 Picture This (Interlude)

12 Poetry

13 Key To My Heart

14 Flashback (Interlude)

15 Is Anybody Listening

16 Ain’t Going

Buy the CD Album Welcome To The Dollhouse

Free Mp3 Downloads Welcome To The Dollhouse

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Danity Kane - Welcome To The Dollhouse (2008)

No related posts.

E=MC2 by Mariah Carey

See Mariah Carey’s Biography

About the Album
“Migrate,” the first tune on Mariah Carey’s latest CD, E=MC2, starts off with the dynamic diva’s unique pyrotechnic technique. It also features T-Pain and an emphatic groove. Mariah has a startling and dramatic instrument, and part of her considerable charm is her startling tonal range. The record isn’t all about it, but she definitely displays it at the outset, and it’s a reminder of what she has that’s unique. Like Yma Sumac of old, Mariah Carey can do some stuff that nobody else can. The big news on this record is that that’s not what it’s about. E (emancipation)=M (Mariah) C (Carey) 2 is the coloratura/diva’s follow-up to 2005’s Emancipation Of Mimi. This is all purportedly a reaction to her break-up with music bigwig Tony Mottola. Regardless, E=MC2 is a little uneven and pop heavy, but has cleaner lines than the earlier Mariah stuff. The hit, “Touch My Body” is remarkably sing-song and childlike. The production is a bit plastic, but Ms. Carey can certainly sing the yellow pages and sound invested and interesting.

The starkly biographical “Side Effects” is probably the most honest and powerful of the cuts. It’s got a whole “I Will Survive” thing goin’ on that’s moving. Carey does best when she sings about personal experience with a more personal sound. She sounds bitter, but fired-up. Obviously there are still a few raw nerves here. The patter is razor edged, and Young Jeezy makes a cameo contribution. A nice cathartic stroke always plays well. This should have been the second single if the A&R guys were still talking to promotion. “Bye, Bye,” the actual number two single is too predictable and saccharine. This is all pretty predictable pop, well executed and well tested. Mariah Carey is, in many ways, returning to the formula that made her a star in the first place: easy groves, graceful melodies and catchy groves. Considering that this record features her 18th number one hit, it makes pretty good sense.

The strongest and most characteristic vocal performance of the “new” Mariah comes on “Thanx 4 Nothin’.” There’s a nice guitar line and that cool vocal pick-up thing Carey does so well. She’s smooth as silk when she sings, “somebody say” in a groovy patter off the fourth beat of the groove. Often stuck in the Whitney Houston style freeze, Mariah does even better when she gets a little retro on the Swizz Beatz groove of “O.O.C. (Out Of Control).” Instead of trying to do that Usher phrasing, this is more Diana Ross via Michael Jackson. The ending breakdown is very danceable, and infectiously catchy.

If you’re taking it in order, E=MC2 saves the best for last. While “I Wish You Well” probably won’t top the pop charts, the lean, piano only accompaniment and gospel tinged vocal shows us what the “next” Mariah Carey might be. Her effortless vocal technique and obvious dexterity is on display when there’s no distraction. She sings. She wails. She keeps it real. It’s the best thing on the record.

I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time

E=MC2 album tracklists are:

Migrate [Feat. T-Pain]

Touch My Body

Cruise Control [Feat. Damian Marley]

I Stay In Love

Side Effects [Feat. Young Jeezy]

I’m That Chick

Love Story

I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time

Last Kiss

Thanx 4 Nothin’

O.O.C

For The Record

Bye Bye

I Wish You Well

Heat

4real4real [Feat. Da Brat]

Buy the CD album E=MC2

Free Mp3 Downloads E=MC2

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Mariah Carey - E=MC2 (2008)

No related posts.

Pocketful Of Sunshine by Pocketful Of Sunshine

See Natasha Bedingfield’s Biography

About the Album “Pocketful Of Sunshine”
If you were a U.K. resident in 2004, you couldn’t dig a post-punk hole deep enough to muffle the sounds of one Natasha Bedingfield. The pop songstress, younger sister of pop, um, songster Daniel, dropped “These Words” on an unsuspecting Isle, and everyone from North London scenesters to grizzled pub regulars was soon crooning along to a hook aimed straight at the teenage girl demographic. But any shame they felt was counteracted by a measure of gloating. America wasn’t going to know what hit it.

As it turned out, “These Words” was outpaced Stateside by Bedingfield’s title track, “Unwritten,” thanks to the latter’s placement on MTV “scripted reality” show The Hills. In this country, anyway, the teenage girls got their say. But really, both songs cover the same point: This young lady can make pop work. Her hooks have real bite, her rhythms have just enough club punch, and her effervescent delivery somehow makes cheesy, even trite sentiments. “Drench yourself in words unspoken/ Live your life with arms wide open”, feel, if not exactly deep, at least sincere.

What you think of sophomore disc Pocketful Of Sunshine depends largely on how you viewed Unwritten. The question isn’t whether you liked it (despite what you’re telling the guys at the pub, you did), but whether you viewed it as truly ideal pop or simply a smartly crafted turn on essentially disposable stuff. This album doesn’t wow with head-sticking choruses, a la Unwritten, but it does prove Bedingfield’s got some real heft, bubblegum lyrics notwithstanding. There’s an increased R&B and soul presence, and the singer deftly handles both tricky syncopation and a broad dynamic range. For all her sweet high melodies, she can do rich and dreamy (as on the nostalgic “Backyard“) or tough and brassy (the drum-driven “Piece Of Your Heart“).

This clearly stems, at least in part, from an urge to project a more adult image. Last time around, Bedingfield was singing about her life as blank page, or getting giddy over the words “I love you.” Now, she’s introspective, the youthful angst is replaced by a focus on real relationships. The choice of “Soulmate” as a lead track reflects this. It’s slower and darker, clean guitar and swooning piano signifying maturity. The lyrics are still a little stilted, “Most relationships seem so transitory/ They’re all good but not the permanent one”, but the growth feels real.

Pocketful Of Sunshine

Pocketful Of Sunshine album tracklists are:

Put Your Arms Around Me

Pocketful Of Sunshine

Happy

Love Like This [Ft Sean Kingston]

Piece Of Your Heart

Soulmate

Say It Again

Angel

Backyard

Freckles

Who Knows

Pirate Bones

Not Givin’ Up

Buy the CD album Pocketful of Sunshine

Full Mp3 Downloads Pocketful Of Sunshine

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine (2008)

No related posts.

Third by Portishead

Career Overview
In the mid-1990s, the dreamy-but-grooving sound of trip-hop was confined to the U.K. underground until Portishead brought it to the worldwide mainstream. Combining electronics, lush production, Ennio Morricone-like guitar breaks, and angelic singing from frontwoman Beth Gibbons, Portishead became the leaders of the trip-hop movement. The band dissipated after its second album, and Gibbons eventually went the solo route with her critically lauded 2002 album OUT OF SEASON.

Biography
Portishead are named after the sleepy port on the south-west coast of England where Geoff Barrow (b. Weston-Super-Mare, Avon, England) spent his teens. His intentions in forming the band were simple: “I just wanted to make interesting music, proper songs with a proper life span and a decent place in people’s record collections.” Barrow started out as a tape operator, working in a minor capacity with Massive Attack and Neneh Cherry, and also wrote songs for Cherry (”Somedays” was included on her 1992 collection, Homebrew).

With the aid of an Enterprise Allowance grant he recruited jazz guitarist and musical director Adrian Utley, drummer/programmer Dave MacDonald and vocalist Beth Gibbons (b. Keynsham, Bristol, Avon, England), whom he encountered on a job creation scheme while she was singing Janis Joplin cover versions in a pub. Together they recorded a soundtrack and film, To Kill A Dead Man, with themselves as actors because “we couldn’t find anyone else to do the parts”. At this point they came to the attention of A&R man Ferdy Unger-Hamilton at the Go! Discs subsidiary, Go! Beat, who encouraged Barrow to remix Gabrielle’s “Dreams“. He was sufficiently impressed with the results to sign the band immediately, despite several other interested parties.

Portishead’s early singles “Numb” and “Sour Times” emerged to good press reaction, although the debut album slipped in and out of the charts with little fanfare. There was some problem with marketing the band both Barrow and Gibbons were reluctant to do interviews, and had no initial interest in playing live. Instead the press campaign saw painted mannequin dummies distributed in strategic locations throughout London, ensuring press coverage outside of the expected media. Word of mouth continued to push the band’s profile and, with virtually no radio support, their third single, “Glory Box“, entered the UK charts at number 13 in January 1995.

Aided by a distinctive, gender-swapping video (visuals are central to the band’s approach), its arrival came on the back of several Album Of The Year awards for Dummy from magazines as diverse as Mixmag, ID, The Face and Melody Maker. Mixing torch songs with blues, jazz and hip-hop, their sound became known as “trip-hop”, a loose term which was readily associated with other Bristol-based acts such as Massive Attack and Tricky. The interest also translated to America, where the album sold over 150,000 copies without the band even setting foot there. They were then awarded the Mercury Music Prize for best album of 1995. Following their success, the band were invited to contribute to several soundtracks, including two low-budget art movies and Tank Girl.

The long-awaited follow-up to Dummy was severely delayed when Barrow, a self-confessed perfectionist, reached a creative impasse that almost destroyed the band. His perseverance paid off, however, when Portishead was released in September 1997 to excellent critical reviews, but ultimately disappointing sales. Although first single “All Mine‘ had suggested some variation to the Portishead sound, the album covered essentially the same ground as their debut, albeit in an impressively stylish manner. A perfunctory live album followed in 1998. Portishead’s painstaking work schedule allowed the members room for other projects, the most notable of which was Gibbons collaboration with ex-Talk Talk bass player Paul Webb under the moniker Beth Gibbons and Rustin” Man. The duo released their debut recording, Out Of Season, in November 2002.
Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 2005

The RIP

Third album tracklists are:

Silence

Hunter

Nylon Smile

The Rip

Plastic

We Carry On

Deep Water

Machine Gun

Small

Magic Doors

Threads

Buy the CD album Third

Full Mp3 Downloads Third

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Portishead - Third (2008)

No related posts.

Here I Stand by Usher

Career Overview
Hailing from Chattanooga, TN, Usher Raymond (best known by his given name) emerged in the ’90s as a young R&B singer full of promise. The stars must have been aligned correctly for him, as he snagged Puffy Combs as a producer for his eponymous 1994 debut album, which helped make him a household name in the world of contemporary soul. He would go on to work with everyone from Teddy Riley and Babyface to Jermaine Dupri and young R&B siren Monica, expanding his audience all the while, and quickly becoming one of the most recognizable faces in modern R&B.

Biography
b. Usher Raymond, 14 October 1978, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Drawn from LaFace Records’ seemingly inexhaustible wellspring of young R&B acts, Usher is one of the few who can boast of real star quality and staying power. Indeed, after the release of his self-titled debut in 1994, there seemed to be a danger that he would become better known as a face rather than a musical talent. He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and also performed at the American Music Awards as part of the all-star recording collaboration Black Men United. However, sales of his Sean “Puffy” Combs-produced debut were a little disappointing at just over a quarter of a million, though it did spawn the hit single “Think Of You“.

As a consequence, Usher took creative control over the production of the US Top 10 follow-up My Way, although he did enlist Jermaine Dupri, Teddy Riley and Babyface as co-writers and co-producers. The first single to be taken from the album, “You Make Me Wanna“, was typical of the smooth ballads on offer. More unusual was the experimental, hip-hop-styled “Nice ‘N’ Slow“, a US chart-topper in March 1998. The album also included a remake of Midnight Star’s “Slow Jam“, featuring fellow teenage R&B star Monica. The title track climbed to US number 2 in August 1998.

A live album was issued as a stopgap while the singer recorded new material and initiated a successful acting career, appearing in the television series Moesha and the movies The Faculty and She’s All That. His 2000 comeback single “Pop Ya Collar“, co-written with husband-and-wife team Kevin She’kspere Briggs and Kandi, was a surprising failure in America. Usher was more successful in the UK, where the single debuted at number 2 in February 2001. He returned to the top of the US charts in July with “U Remind Me“, which premiered the transatlantic hit album 8701. The single “U Got It Bad” also reached the number 1 position in 2002, and helped complete Usher’s transition from teen pop star to R&B bestseller.

He cemented his status as one of the most prominent faces in American music when his new single, “Yeah!“, climbed up the US charts to reach the top slot in February 2004 (staying at the top for several weeks). The track repeated the feat on the UK chart, by which time the follow-up single “Burn” had also broken into the US Top 5. The latter track completed its climb to the top in May. A third single, “Confessions Part II“, continued a remarkable year for the singer when it topped the US charts in July. A fourth chart-topper followed in October with the Alicia Keys duet, “My Boo“.
Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 2005

Here I Stand (live)

Here I Stand album tracklists are:

Intro [Forever Young]

Love In This Club [Feat. Young Jeezy]

This Ain’t Sex

Trading Places

Moving Mountains

What’s Your Name [Feat. Will.I.Am]

Prayer For You [Interlude]

Something Special

Love You Gently

Best Thing [Feat. Jay Z]

Before I Met You

His Mistakes

Appetite

What’s A Man To Do

Lifetime

Love In This Club Part II [Ft. Beyonce And Lil Wayne]

Here I Stand

Will Work For Love

Buy the CD album Here I Stand

Full Mp3 Downloads Here I Stand

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Usher - Here I Stand (2008)

No related posts.

Sleep Through The Static by Jack Johnson

Career Overview
In a crossover worthy of soap star-turned-rocker Rick Springfield, professional surfer Jack Johnson emerged as one of the hottest pop stars of the early ’00s. The interesting thing is that, amid hordes of teen-poppers and nu-metallists, he came to fame with a spare, mellow, acoustic-oriented singer-songwriter sound influenced by Nick Drake and James Taylor. In a way, he can be seen as a successor to the easygoing beach-culture popster Jimmy Buffett, in both his music and his eschewing of media hype for grass-roots appeal in his rise to the top.

Biography
b. 18 May 1975, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Over the years, the music usually associated with surfing has been either Beach Boys-styled pop (circa the 60s), or hardcore punk (beginning in the 80s and through to the new millennium). Surfer turned musician Jack Johnson proves to be an exception to the rule, as his relaxed, spacious, and largely acoustic-based music has earned steady comparisons to Ben Harper.

Johnson was born on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, which naturally led to an interest in surfing at a young age. Just as he entered his teenage years, Johnson began competing in the renowned Masters Tournament, but a near fatal wipe out and subsequent recovery put his surfing career on hold. During the interim, Johnson studied at UCSB and became interested in film making, as well as music. Johnson’s musical break came when friend/recording artist Garrett Dutton III of G Love And Special Sauce recorded one of Johnson’s original compositions, “Rodeo Clowns‘, for his 1999 release, Philadelphonic. It was also around this time that a pair of surf documentaries that Johnson was involved in came out a year apart from each other, 1999’s Thicker Than Water and 2000″s The September Sessions.

Working with Ben Harper’s long-time producer, J.P. Plunier, Johnson issued his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, in early 2001, with Harper making a guest appearance. The album proved to be a steady seller and was particularly popular on the college circuit, eventually attaining platinum sales status. For the album’s subsequent tour, Adam Topol (drums) and Merlo Podlewski (bass) joined Johnson on stage. Another enjoyable collection, On And On, followed in 2003, with Johnson staying true to the feelgood vibe and relaxed, acoustic grooves that characterised his debut album. Johnson’s growing mainstream popularity was confirmed at the start of 2005 when his third album, In Between Dreams, reached the US Top 5.
Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 2005

If I Had Eyes

Sleep Through The Static album tracklists are:

All At Once

Sleep Through The Static

Hope

Angel

Enemy

If I Had Eyes

Same Girl

What You Thought You Need

Adrift

Go On

They Do, They Don’t

While We Wait

Monsoon

Losing Keys

Buy the CD album Sleep Through The Static

Full Mp3 Downloads Sleep Through The Static

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static (2008)

No related posts.

X&Y by Coldplay

Career Overview
In 2000, Coldplay emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become a worldwide smash with their debut album PARACHUTES and hit single “Yellow.” They’re generally lumped in with the Britpop crowd, but like Travis they favor a more thoughtful, melodic pop approach than arena-rock chest-beaters like Oasis. They proved to be one of the only British rock bands of their era to make a major impact on the US charts. Coldplay stands to prove that simple, memorable, straightforward pop-rock can still be striking even in the post-everything 21st century.

Biography
This UK band shot to prominence on the back of excitable comparisons to Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, for many commentators the twin figureheads of tortured white rock music in the late 90s. In reality, Coldplay’s inoffensive and slightly bland acoustic rock songs bear stronger comparison to the hugely successful Travis.

The band was formed in January 1998 by UCL students Chris Martin (b. 2 March 1977, Exeter, Devon, England; vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny Buckland (b. 11 September 1977, London, England; guitar), Guy Berryman (b. 12 April 1978, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland; bass) and Will Champion (b. 31 July 1978, Southampton, Hampshire, England; drums). Self-financed demo sessions were productive enough to warrant the release of the Safety EP in May. One of the tracks on the EP, “Bigger Stronger’, earned the band excellent notices in the UK press. They appeared at September’s In The City showcase for unsigned bands, but a performance at London’s Camden Falcon in December, where they were watched by influential journalist and Fierce Panda Records” co-founder Simon Williams, provided the band with their big breakthrough.

A one-off single for Fierce Panda, “Brothers & Sisters“, broke into the UK Top 100 at the start of 1999. The same May the band signed a major label deal with Parlophone Records. Following their appearance at the Glastonbury Festival the band released The Blue Room E.P. and concentrated on recording their debut album. In 2000, short tours with fellow newcomers Terris and Muse, and breakthrough UK hits with “Shiver“, “Yellow” (number 4) and “Trouble” helped maintain the hype level prior to the release of their chart-topping debut album, Parachutes, in July. The band was also nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

Coldplay received a lot of press during the recording of their second album, with Martin stating that if it was not up to standard then they would give up. A Rush Of Blood To The Head turned out to be a strong follow-up, with tracks such as “In My Place“, “The Scientist” and the stunning “Clocks” matching the freshness of their debut. The album helped break the band in the USA, and its multi-platinum status cemented their reputation as one of the new millennium’s biggest rock acts. Martin married American actress Gwyneth Paltrow in December 2003. The following February, “Clocks” won a Grammy for Record Of The Year.

The long awaited new Coldplay single, “Speed Of Sound“, was premiered in April 2005. Its debut at number 8 on the US singles chart meant Coldplay became the first British band to have a new entry in the US Top 10 since the Beatles. The release of the attendant album X&Y was one of the most media-saturated events of the past decade. While some of the reviews were completely over the top in hailing the album as an instant classic, it was undeniably another excellent collection showing that the band’s songwriting skills had not diminished amidst all the pressure. The album went straight to the top of the charts all over the world.
Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 2005

Talk

X&Y album tracklists are:

Square One

What If

White Shadows

Fix You

Talk

X and Y

Speed Of Sound

A Message

Low

The Hardest Part

Swallowed In The Sea

Twisted Logic

Til Kingdom Come (Bonus Track)

Buy the CD album X&Y

Full Mp3 Downloads X&Y

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Coldplay - X&Y (2007)

No related posts.

Home Before Dark by Neil Diamond

Career Overview
With a career as a hitmaker stretching across the decades, Neil Diamond has purveyed catchy, three-chord pop/rock, progressive singer/songwriter material, middle-of-the-road balladry, and even traditional country. He started out as a Brill Building hitmaker; a songwriter for hire, he worked alongside the likes of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and penned hits for the Monkees and Jay & the Americans. His solo career took off in the mid 1960s and made him one of America’s most successful recording artists and concert attractions for a long time to come. Even decades down the road, younger groups such as UB40 in the ’80s, Urge Overkill in the ’90s, and Smash Mouth in the 2000’s were still scoring hits with Diamond’s evergreen compositions.

Biography
b. 24 January 1941, Brooklyn, New York, USA. With a career as a pop hitmaker stretching across five decades, Diamond has veered between straightforward pop, a progressive singer-songwriter style and middle-of-the-road balladry. He attended the same high school as Neil Sedaka and Bobby Feldman of the Strangeloves and began songwriting as a young teenager. He made his first records in 1960 for local label Duel with Jack Packer as Neil And Jack. After college, Diamond became a full-time songwriter in 1962, recording unsuccessfully for CBS Records before “Sunday And Me“, produced by Leiber And Stoller for Jay And The Americans, brought his first success as a composer in 1965.

The following year, Diamond made a third attempt at a recording career, joining Bert Berns’ Bang Records label. With Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich as producers, he released “Solitary Man” before the catchy “Cherry Cherry” entered the US Top 10. In 1967 the Monkees had multi-million-sellers with Diamond’s memorable “I’m A Believer” and “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” (with chord changes not unlike “Cherry Cherry“). Like his own 1967 hit, “Thank The Lord For The Night“, these songs combined a gospel feel with a memorable pop melody. In the same year, Diamond also showed his mastery of the country-tinged ballad with “Kentucky Woman“.

After a legal dispute with Bang, Diamond signed to MCA Records’ Uni label, moving from New York to Los Angeles. After a failed attempt at a progressive rock album (Velvet Gloves And Spit) he began to record in Memphis and came up with a series of catchy, and simple hits, including “Sweet Caroline” (1969), “Holly Holy” and two number 1s, “Cracklin Rosie” (1970) and “Song Sung Blue” (1972). At the same time, Diamond was extending his range with the semi-concept album Tap Root Manuscript (on which Hollywood arranger Marty Paich orchestrated African themes) and the confessional ballad, “I Am … I Said“, a Top 10 single on both sides of the Atlantic. He was also much in demand for live shows and his dynamic act was captured on Hot August Night. Soon after its release, Diamond announced a temporary retirement from live appearances, and spent the next three years concentrating on writing and recording. He moved into film work, winning a Grammy award for the soundtrack of Jonathan Livingston Seagull to which his long-time arranger Lee Holdridge also contributed.

The 1976 album Beautiful Noise (on his new label, CBS Records) was a tribute to the Brill Building songwriting world of the 50s and 60s. It cost nearly half a million dollars to make and was produced by Robbie Robertson of the Band. Diamond also appeared at The Last Waltz, the star-studded tribute concert celebrating the Band’s musical career. In 1978, Diamond recorded his first duet since 1960 and his biggest hit single. The wistful “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” had previously been recorded solo by both Diamond and Barbra Streisand but after a disc jockey had spliced the tracks together, producer Bob Gaudio brought the pair together for the definitive version which headed the US chart. Now at the peak of his success, Diamond accepted his first film acting role in a remake of The Jazz Singer. The film was undistinguished although Diamond’s performance was credible. The soundtrack album sold a million, in part because of “America”, a rousing, patriotic Diamond composition which he later performed at the Statue Of Liberty centenary celebrations.

During the 80s, Diamond increasingly co-wrote songs with Gilbert B?caud, David Foster and above all Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach. They collaborated on the ballad “Heartlight” (1982), inspired by the movie E.T. The next year, UB40 revived one of his earliest songs, “Red Red Wine” and had a UK number 1. There were also disputes with CBS, which insisted on changes to two of Diamond’s proposed albums, bringing in Maurice White to produce Headed For The Future. However, “The Best Years Of Our Lives“, written by Diamond alone, showed a return to the form of the 70s while he worked on his 1991 album with leading contemporary producers Don Was and Peter Asher.

In 1993 he released one of his finest records in a long time, Up On The Roof. His interpretation of songs by the great songwriters of the Brill Building was an outstanding tribute. His 1996 release Tennessee Moon was a complete departure from the safe limits of AOR pop; easily his most interesting album in years, it scaled the country music charts and introduced a totally new audience to Diamond. In 2000, he was awarded the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. The following year he returned to the studio to complete the excellent Three Chord Opera. In 2005, Diamond collaborated with producer Rick Rubin on the stripped-down, intimate album 12 Songs.

Diamond’s track record speaks volumes: in the region of 60 hits, over 30 charting albums and one of the Top 20 most successful artists ever in the USA. His success in the UK is comparable, with over 25 charting albums and a fiercely loyal fanbase.
Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 2005

Home Before Dark (live)

Home Before Dark album tracklists are:

If I Don’t See You Again

Pretty Amazing Grace

Don’t Go There

Another Day (That Time Forgot)

One More Bite Of The Apple

Forgotten

Act Like A Man

Whose Hands Are These

No Words

The Power Of Two

Slow It Down

Home Before Dark

Buy the CD album Home Before Dark (Deluxe Edition with DVD)

Full Mp3 Downloads Home Before Dark

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark (2008)

No related posts.

N.B. by Natasha Bedingfield

Biography
Natasha Anne Bedingfield (November 26, 1981) is an English singer-songwriter, based in London, England. She was born in the Lewisham district of London to New Zealand-born Molly and John Bedingfield who are both charity workers. She has three siblings; two brothers: Daniel and Joshua and a younger sister Nikola. Both Daniel and Nikola are also pop singers. Her interest in music was encouraged by her parents and growing up she took guitar and piano lessons.

As a teenager, Bedingfield and her siblings, Daniel and Nikola, formed the dance/electronic group, The DNA Algorithm. The group provided Bedingfield with the opportunity to explore different musical genres and expand her songwriting abilities. She provided vocals for the group which primarily performed dance-pop music about religion, independence and empowerment, themes that would later be found in her own solo compositions. The DNA Algorithm performed at several Christian music festivals before disbanding. Bedingfield attended a year at the University of Greenwich, where she studied psychology to “make [her] a better songwriter.”

After a year of studying psychology, she left the university to concentrate on singing and songwriting. She began to record demos in the garages of friends who had recording studios. Bedingfield eventually took these demos to record companies. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield composed and recorded songs for the Hillsong London Church. In 2004, her recordings appeared on the church’s live album Shout God’s Fame and the children’s album Jesus Is My Superhero by Hillsong Music Australia.

Career Overview
Bedingfield signed a recording contract with Sony BMG in 2003. Her first album Unwritten was released in September 2004 and features collaborations with Steve Kipner, Danielle Brisebois, Wayne Rodrigues, Nick Lachey, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins, Kara DioGuardi, Guy Chambers, Patrick Leonard and rapper Bizarre. The album contained uptempo pop rock songs and influences from R&B music. Bedingfield’s lyrics focused on independence, opportunism and female empowerment. Reviews of the album were generally positive and it was described as a “well-made pop album for the new millennium” by All Music Guide. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number one and reached the top thirty in the United States. It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United Kingdom and the U.S. At the 2005 Brit Awards, Bedingfield was nominated for four awards, she was also nominated for an award at the 2006 Brit Awards and in 2007 she was nominated for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

The first single released from the album was “Single“, which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. The song’s lyrics, and its accompanying music video, depict Bedingfield’s single lifestyle. “These Words” was released as the album’s second single. The song became Bedingfield’s first UK number one and U.S. top twenty single. “Unwritten” was released as the album’s third single in 2004, the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and it also became the most played song on U.S. radio in 2006. The songs lyrics discuss “living your own life without other people telling you how to live it”. “I Bruise Easily” was released as the album’s fourth single, it did not perform as well as its predecessors but was still a moderate success, reaching number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.

Bedingfield’s second album N.B. was released in April 2007 in Europe. Bedingfield recollaborated with Kipner along with Eve and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as R&B, reggae and electronica. Bedingfield commented that it differed from Unwritten because it represented her shifting priorities from being a single young woman to “dating, searching for a partner” and “looking for Mr Right”. The album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number nine and received mixed reviews by critics, who found that it had “good pop moments”.

“I Wanna Have Your Babies“, the album’s lead single, was about finding the right man to father her children and became criticized by fans and critics alike. The song was moderately successful, reaching number seven in the UK, number eight in Ireland and the top fifty in most other markets. “Soulmate” was released as the album’s second single on July 2, 2007 and also peaked at number seven in the UK. “Say It Again” was confirmed as the third single to be released from N.B. on October 8, 2007.

Soulmate (live)

N.B. album tracklists are:

How Do You Do?

I Wanna Have Your Babies

Soulmate

Who Knows

Say It Again

Pirate Bones

Backyard

Tricky Angel

When You Know You Know/i Think They’re Thinking (Interlude)

(No More) What Ifs feat. Eve

Not Givin’ Up

Still Here

Smell The Roses

Buy the CD album N.B.

Full Mp3 Downloads N.B.

Post from: Free Mp3 Downloads Original website: http://www.freemp3ss.com

Natasha Bedingfield - N.B. (2007)

No related posts.